Physiological activities and inhibitory effect of extracts of Cynanchi wilfordii radix and Perilla sikokiana against cell differentiation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes

Cynanchi wilfordii Radix (CW) and Perilla sikokiana (PS) were extracted under different conditions to study their antioxidant, anti-diabetic, and anti-obesity activities. Their potentials as functional food ingredients were investigated. The highest total phenol contents were 15.74±0.69 mg/g for CW100 [100% fermented ethanol (FE) extract from CW] and 39.37±3.46 mg/g for PS50 (50% FE extract from PS). When extracts were processed at 1 mg/mL, DPPH radical scavenging activities were 79.79±0.79% and 82.69±1.07%, respectively, at CW100 and PS50. ABTS radical scavenging activities were 80.20±2.86% and 75.00±1.78%, respectively, at CW100 and PS50. However, ferric reducing antioxidant power activities at 1 mg/mL were higher than 80% for PS under all extraction conditions. The highest α-amylase inhibitory activities were 51.56±0.56∼59.2±1.13% at CW50 and 46.70±0.32∼66.17±0.55% at PS0. Cell differentiation inhibitory effects in 3T3-L1 adipocytes were 29.49±2.98% at CW100 and 23.31±0.61% at PS50. The inhibitory effect of the CW100-PS50 mixture was 43.03±1.63%, which was significantly higher than those of individual extracts.